I received this items at no cost to facilitate my review. All opinions remain my own.
I’m typically a pull-down-the-shirt or unbutton-the-shirt breastfeeder. Nursing shirts with peekaboo slits have not worked well in the past for me. I have always found the slits too narrow, and prone to getting soaked in milk, thus leaving me no choice but to change my top. I was pretty psyched when Montreal based brand, Momzelle, approached me for a review and I saw the huge breast openings hidden in their nursing clothing design:
I selected three different pieces from their varied and versatile line of tops and dresses that range from casual to corporate:
From left to right, we’ve got the Gaby Nursing Hoodie, Elena Nursing Dress and Christine Nursing Top.
I tried my Momzelle wardrobe out while in Vancouver visiting my parents for a month in December. I got a lot of compliments on all three pieces, and always from fashion-forward ladies who had no clue they were nursing tops.
Gaby Nursing Hoodie
Nursing or pregnant for the past four years, I’ve had to put my love of hoodies somewhat on hold. Hoodies are awkward at best to pull up and nurse, so I had been looking for a nursing hoodie for some time. The Gaby Nursing Hoodie was the first item I chose from Momzelle’s online boutique. It’s soft and cozy, and works perfectly for nursing.
I like to wear a nursing tank top underneath since I don’t like wearing a hoodie with nothing underneath. (And putting a t-shirt underneath would defeat the purpose!) I got the size small, and noticed the sleeves were just long enough, so made a mental note not to throw the hoodie in the dryer. I have never once in my life succeeded at not putting something in the dryer, so the sleeves shrunk up a tiny bit. I’d definitely like to see the Gaby with another inch of cuff, and a thumb hole, taking it from awesome to exquisite. I would add that I do tend to wear the sleeves of my long-sleeve tops rolled up, so the shorter sleeve length isn’t bothering me much!
Elena Nursing Dress
At my brother’s wedding last year, I looked amazing. I looked amazing until I had to basically take off my dress to nurse Cub during the wedding speeches. (There’s no way I was going to miss my baby brother’s speech!) I was mainly nursing Cub at night by the time of my brother’s wedding, and didn’t think I could get a flattering and beautiful nursing dress. Turns out, I wasn’t looking in the right place.A Momzelle nursing dress would’ve clearly solved the problem. My Christmas dress does not look AT ALL like it is designed for nursing!
I only wear dresses that feel like lounge wear, and that is definitely the case for the Elena dress, made of cotton with a hint of Spandex. I truly felt amazing in this dress, and the ladies in my family all loved it. The photos from this Christmas are my favourites ever, mostly because of how flattering the dress is and how happy I was to be spending Little Miss Cub’s first Noel with my entire extended family.
There’s no need to hide away in a corner to nurse at our family gatherings, but I’m not going to complain that I could sit at the kitchen table and nurse Little Miss without taking off half of my dress.
When I shared this picture on my Instagram, one commenter mentioned she would’ve had no idea I was even nursing if it weren’t for my caption!
There isn’t a thing I’d change about the Elena. I am just desperately seeking another occasion that merits a dress…
Christine Nursing Tee
T-shirts and leggings. That’s 99% of what I wear. I also wear a lot of horizontal stripes. My Momzelle t-shirt is officially my go-to top. Is it clean? I’m wearing it. I wore it on the airplane to and from Vancouver, and it was the most discreetly I had ever whipped out a boob in the air.
Look at that great big opening! Plenty of breast is exposed for a nice nursing experience, and even Mamas who like a bit of privacy would likely feel comfortable without a cover. The Christine top is a super flattering fit and a nice length, even with my long torso. The one thing I notice is that the edge of the flap rolls up a bit when it comes out of the dryer. This is simple to rectify with a cool iron, or, if you’re lazy like me, spritzing some water on it and tossing it in the dryer for a couple minutes and taking it out right away.
I’d like to give a special shout out to my sister-in-law, Kirsten, for taking all my gorgeous photos! Check out her recipes at Breaking Bland Eats.
Update (Feb 2016): I’ve finally figured out some good babywearing positions for nursing, and Momzelle clothes are perfect for nursing while baby is in the wrap or carrier! People will likely not even realize your babe is latched on!
Shop & Connect:
Momzelle products are manufactured in an Oeko Tek-certified facility in China, visited by one of the company’s co-founders on an annual basis. They are currently working on a made-in-Montreal line, which I look forward to seeing at the end of 2016!
Find a Momzelle retailer near you or visit their online boutique.
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